After a lovely massage at the Elemis Spa in Terminal 5, and my uh, 5th and 6th breakfast of the day (hotel breakfast in Paris, lounge breakfast at CDG, meal on flight from Paris to London, lounge breakfast in LHR ...), plus a few bites of lunch and ice cream in the Galleries First Lounge, it was time to head to my gate to board my flight to San Francisco. I wasn’t really looking forward to flying at this point: I was stuffed full of food, nicely relaxed from both the massage and perhaps a few gin and tonics, and our gate was so far away in the C gate satellites. I sucked it up, and walked the magic underground passage rather than crowd onto the train. I enjoyed my last few minutes of tranquility.
Our flight boarded pretty much on time, and fairly efficiently. Standard pre-takeoff drinks of water, champagne, or juice were offered. Since I was drinking better things in the lounge already, I opted for just sparkling water, and didn’t bother with a photo. Our menus were dropped off, amenity kits distributed.
And then things stopped progressing. Drama with catering. Drama with the bags. We sat at the gate for quite a while, long after the novelty of exploring my seat had worn off. At this point, it was 4pm in my world, and I’d been up since 6am. I had way too many hours left to go, so a delay at this point was not welcome (in contrast to when I depart from San Francisco, where I’ll be sleeping on the flight, and the later we leave, the better). Anyway, the crew kept us informed, and eventually we were off.
Service wasn’t great. Everything was very, very slow. It was close to 3 hours post-takeoff before our meals were served. This wasn’t an issue for me since I wasn’t hungry, but wow that was slow. I had to constantly ask for water. They ran out of sparkling water before the first meal service was even over. When I asked for ice in my water, I didn’t get it. When my companion asked for sugar with his tea, he didn’t get it. A few hours into the flight, I decided to watch a movie, only to discover that the right ear of my headphones did not work. I tried my companions, and it did work, so clearly not a broken jack. I rang my call button. After 35 minutes with no response, I toggled it and rang again. I waited another 10 minutes. Nothing. I gave up and went to ask in person, at which time they were replaced.
Overall, no staff were particularly friendly nor personable, nor expressed any enthusiasm for their jobs. They also never acknowledged my BA Gold status. I don't actually care about this, and always felt a bit funny when it was acknowledged before, but, I noticed it was missing, and is usually part of the BA service standards.
Amenities & Seat
The amenity kits were the same as on my previous flight, BA 286, from SFO-LHR, so I won’t review those again here. We were flying on an A380, my first time with British Airways. My flight to London was on a 747, and before that I had flown in First Class on this route, but it was also on a 747.
It had been a few years since I was on an A380, I think the last time was on Qantas, likely in Premium Economy, and long before I started blogging. I did remember it being a massive, amazing aircraft though, so I looked forward to finally getting to experience British Airway’s take on it.
 |
| My Seat, 57A. |
I flew Club World, in seat 57A, window, rear facing, upper deck. I wanted a window seat since I knew the seats lack any real storage (they use the same seats on the 747 and the A380). I’ll skip the seat review this time around since I reviewed it on my outgoing flight, but I was again fairly annoyed with the lack of storage and functional space. I had the window bins for storage, and placing things, but my companion next to me didn’t have a little tray for a drink, something even American Airlines has on domestic air craft.
 |
| A380, Club World, Upper Deck. |
Club World seats are offered on both decks; we opted for upstairs rather than the wider downstairs to be slightly more private. Even so, this is a massive cabin, nothing like the cozy upper deck of a 747. It is divided into two sections. The front section has two toilets, one of which was massive, and the stairwell down to the lower floor.
We were in the second section, with just a single small bathroom, alongside the galley, in the middle. Our cabin was back up against what I think was premium economy. I was stuck way back in row 57 because status-less my companion was flying with me, and we were on separate itineraries. While I could select a better seat, he could not, and we wanted to be seated together. (I later learned I could have called to link our itineraries?)
We had the uh, pleasure of having a baby across the aisle from us. Yes, I was a bit grumpy, mostly just exhausted, and not fan of the crying and delays.
 |
| Huge Bathroom: Part 1. |
In the front Club World cabin were two more bathrooms. Yes, only 3 for 53 people, and I assure you, this was a problem. Lines got long, and very slow. I can only imagine how bad it would have been on a overnight flight, when everyone wanted to use the bathroom to change in the morning.
The bathrooms up front were shockingly huge. This is only one-half of the bathroom, with a toilet and padded bench.
 |
| Huge Bathroom: Part 2. |
The other half had the sink, large mirror, and amenities.
Just like our previous flight, the hand towels annoyed me. They were more like tissues than even paper towels, and never felt sufficient for drying my hands, let alone washing my face.
Lunch
The first meal served, 3 hours into our flight (!) was "lunch".
 |
| Bar & Champagne Menus. |
I started by exploring the menu. As always, it started with the aperitifs, spirits, liqueurs, digestifs, beer, juice, and soft drinks. The next page had the selection of 3 Champagnes (the standard BA offerings of Taittinger Brut Reserve, or Champagne de Castelnau Brut Rose or Vintage 2004), plus the two signature Champagne cocktails (Buck’s Fizz and Kir Royale).
 |
| Kir Royale, Sparkling Water, Nuts. |
Once we got underway, initial drink orders were taken. It took a while to reach us. I opted for my standard first round of drinks: sparkling water and a Kir Royale (as I don’t really like champagne, but the creme de Cassis always makes it taste fairly ok).
For my water, I asked for ice, no lemon, but got neither. Oh well, not a big deal. The Kir Royal was as expected, a nice welcome drink to settle in with, although it was warm which wasn't great. If I had ice to slip into it from my water, I just might have.
 |
| Lunch Menu. |
I guess our first meal was … lunch? Our takeoff was supposed to be at 2pm, but we left around 3pm. Meal service was supposed to be an hour or so into the flight, so around 4pm London time, which was 5pm in the timezone I was flying from, and still pre-dawn where I was headed, but it was delayed even further. Sure, "lunch", it was.
The menu was available in full online before we traveled, and we even had the ability to pre-order our main dish selections, which my companion and I both did.
Starters:
- Seared tiger prawns with thermadore style mayonnaise and new baby potato salad
- Barbers Somerset cheddar mousse with a poached baby pear and walnut granola
Salad:
- Fresh seasonal salad served with vinaigrette
Main Courses:
- Seared filet of British beef with parsnip, carrot, kale, fondant potato and a rosemary and thyme jus
- Roasted corn-fed chicken breast with white bean cassoulet, glazed celeric and broccolini
- Penne pasta with lemon rocket pesto, parmesan, olives, roasted courgettes and peppers
- Main course salad of Asian style slaw and ginger and lemon grass dressing accompanied by warm spiced Shetland salmon
Dessert:
- Lemon fondant with blackcurrant confit
- Coastal cheddar and Bleu d'Auvergne served with grapes and biscuits
- A selection of fruit
I honestly wasn’t remotely hungry given my ridiculous lounge eating at Heathrow and CDG, plus my previous flight meal, plus hotel breakfast buffet, but I figured I should eat. Both starters sounded interesting, so I was glad my companion wanted to share them both. For the main, he opted for beef, I had the salmon salad.
As always, the starters were served from a cart, a while after the drinks.
 |
| Starters: Cheddar Mousse, Salad, Seeded Roll. |
“Barbers Somerset cheddar mousse with a poached baby pear and walnut granola”
The starter I wanted the most was the cheddar mousse. I was intrigued by the idea of a “cheddar mousse”, although i imagined it would basically be just like a cheese spread? And not that I really like poached pears, but fruit and cheese are a good pairing, plus the granola crumble seemed interesting. Really, this just sounded interesting.
It wasn’t what I expected, and wasn’t good. It was a cold, thick, rectangle, not a light fluffy mousse as I was thinking. It did have a decent cheddar flavor, but it was really more of a quiche than anything else. I don’t like quiche.
The two small chunks of poached baby pear were fine I guess, but not really something I like.
The “walnut granola” was walnuts and something crumbly, but certainly not what I think of as a granola. No oats.
Conceptually, this could have been good, as cheddar, pears, and walnuts do all go together well. And a creamy mousse, a soft fruit, and a crunchy granola could be great. But … meh, cold quiche.
**.
“Fresh seasonal salad served with vinaigrette”
Along with our choice of starters, our trays contained the standard salad. Just basic greens, mushy red peppers, and some slightly pickled fennel. Boring balsamic vinaigrette and salt and pepper were available to add to it. Meh, as always.
**.
As we were served, the bread basket was also offered, with our selection of warm breads (which we hand to grab with our hands, no tongs provided). I opted for the dark roll, as I’ve liked the dark rolls before. This one was dry and boring, at least warm I guess. On our trays was butter to use with the roll. **.
Our trays also had a package of chocolate on them. The brand was “Hotel Chocolat”, and the selection was a “Silky soft and perfectly creamy 40% milk chocolate truffle” and an “indulgent 70% dark chocolate with salted molten caramel”, which I've reviewed before. I looked forward to these, but it always makes me laugh that they come on the initial tray, as they clearly aren’t meant to be consumed with the starters. Of course, my companion devoured his on the spot. Let’s call it a palette cleanser?
The wrapped silverware, which included … 3 knives, 2 forks, and 1 spoon. Not quite sure what I was supposed to do with all those knives? Maybe one for the starter, one for the main, and one for the bread and butter? And a fork each for the starter and main. But then a spoon? I dunno.
 |
| Starters: Prawns, Salad, Garlic Bread. |
"Seared tiger prawns with thermidore style mayonnaise and new baby potato salad"
I’m not really excited by prawns in general, but this was exciting because it said it was “Thermidor-style mayonnaise and new baby potato salad”. Did that mean it would be served with, or mixed into a creamy potato salad? It had potential.
This was not quite what we were expecting. For one, well, I pictured larger prawns, not little shrimp? I didn’t try the shrimp, but there were only 3 small ones, all with a sorta brownish green hue to them. They didn't really look like something one should eat. They were perched on top of a dollop of mayo, the only mayo in the dish. Not the creamy mayo delight I was hoping for.
There was also a crostini and a lemon to drizzle over.
The potato salad was in a small dice. Potatoes, an abundance of red onion, and I think pickles. Perhaps slightly seasoned, perhaps an oil dressing? Not much flavor or interesting here.
As the bread basket moved away from me, I got a whiff of the garlic bread, and it smelt great, so I told my companion to get it. It was clearly the better selection, soft, with plentiful garlic and butter inside. Not awesome, but not bad, the best part of the starters.
**.
 |
| Main Course: Beef. |
“Seared filet of British beef with parsnip, carrot, kale, fondant potato and a rosemary and thyme jus.”
My companion opted for the beef, which I wasn’t really interested in, except of course for the “fondant potato”. After he realized that he had it on his previous flight, and it was overcooked as always, he wished he hadn’t ordered it. He did however mention to the FA that he’d like the most rare one available, and she promised to get one from the bottom of the oven for him.
The size of the filet was … small, particularly alongside the very large vegetables. It was a bit funny. And of course, well done. I didn’t try the beef.
The “fondant potato” that I was so eager to dig into was the tiniest little drop of potato ever. It was creamy and fine I guess, but wow, I don’t even think there was a full spoonful.
I set about figuring out what everything else was. There were sticks of a white substance that I thought might be more potato. This turned out to be carrots, white carrots I guess, maybe parsnips? They tasted like carrots though. They were … just mush. Total mush. I didn’t try the ridiculously huge parsnip slice or the kale.
I’m glad he got this, if only so I could laugh at the funny portion sizes, but nothing on the plate was very good.
**.
 |
| Main Course: Salmon Slaw. |
"Main course salad of Asian style slaw and ginger and lemon grass dressing accompanied by warm spiced Shetland salmon."
I don’t tend to like cooked salmon, but given the options of a boring pasta, chicken, and the beef, this was my only real option. The only appealing part to me was the slaw. I wasn’t hungry, but if I was, something light would be welcome.
One side of the dish contained more assorted lettuces, slightly more fresh seeming than the starter salad. The majority of the dish was the slaw, made from carrots, red onions, chives, and I think perhaps cucumber? A bottle of ginger and lemongrass dressing was provided alongside, so I (incorrectly) assumed it was undressed, and added the dressing to half my dish before tasting it. Bad move. I didn’t like the dressing (way too strong lemongrass flavor), but also, the slaw was actually lightly dressed already, although not particularly flavorful. The ratio of onion to everything else was out of whack, much like the starter potato salad, and the harsh, sharp onion really overpowered everything else, and worse, was left lingering in my mouth long after.
The slaw was fresh enough, crispy and not soggy, and if I had any hunger at all, I probably would have appreciated the light dish and the water content.
The salmon … well, it looked awful. I have no idea what the coating was, but it made it very unappealing. I rarely like cooked salmon (I like raw salmon, and I like mid-rare salmon, but fully cooked salmon is always fishy tasting and uninteresting to me). This was no different. Cooked through, fishy, meh. My companion likes cooked salmon, but he didn’t want this either.
**+.
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| Dessert: Lemon Fondant with Blackcurrant Confit. |
The dessert menu left me pretty sad. Cheese or only one option, and it had both lemon and blackcurrant, neither of which I like. Boo. But I'm such a dessert girl, I had to try it.
I tasted it. Lemon fondant? Sure, that is what they called it, but this was a creamy cheesecake. Yes, it had a thin layer of lemon on top but the lemon did not dominate, and was easy to peel off (literally ... which was odd to say the least). The majority of the dessert was just a smooth, creamy, sweet, lovely cheesecake-like. The crust was a crumbly, sweet, sorta graham cracker-like.
The blackcurrant confit I was similarly not excited by, as I don’t particularly like blackcurrant, but, again, it didn’t taste anything like I expected. It was sweet, and reminded me more of lingonberries than tangy blackcurrants.
So, surprise, I really enjoyed this. It was sweet, it was creamy, and it was satisfying. And to think, my companion told me not to get it! He actually told me to not even bother, knowing my tastes. When I did still get it, and tasted it, I encouraged him to try it, as it was so good. I wish I hadn’t, as he loved it too, and started stealing it while I awaited my slow-to-arrive decaf coffee pairing.
Moral of the story? Sometimes, life gives you lemons, in the form of a delicious “fondant”.
****.
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Dulce de Leche Granizado
(The Ice Cream Kitchen). |
We were offered dessert or cheese, but I knew the “Club Kitchen” also stocked ice cream by London local brand Ice Cream Union. I planned to get that for my dessert instead of the lemon fondant, before I realized how good it was. I thought I’d need to go fetch it myself, but then I saw it on the cart with desserts. Not offered proactively, but I asked about it, and was told that they had vanilla or dulce de leche granizado. I went for the later.
Sadly, the ice cream wasn’t great. It clearly had been freezer burned, and subject to all sorts of temperature extremes. Icy, and not creamy. Given that it is made from whole milk and cream only, it should have been creamy.
The flavor was sweet, sweet, sweet. It also had little chocolate flecks in it. Really, nothing special, and neither my companion nor I wanted to finish it.
**+.
Club Kitchen
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| Club Kitchen Menu. |
It didn’t take long for me to get peckish, or more accurately, bored.
I opted to check out the “Club Kitchen”. The menu just promised that it would have a selection of snacks, so I was eager to check it out and see what there was, and, of course, grab the good stuff before it ran out!
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| Club Kitchen: Snacks. |
The "kitchen" is really just an assortment laid out in the side of the galley.
I was in the mood for something salty and crunchy, and somehow, they didn’t have anything like that. The snacks were mostly sweet: Mars chocolate (not exactly high quality or even British, although my companion was thrilled to find Twix bars), jelly beans (ok, not awesome, tiny size, just like Jelly Belly), caramel corn, and granola bars. Plain Kettle chips were the closet thing to what I was looking for, but I'm
not really a fan of Kettle chips.
There were also a few pieces of whole fruit, and warm cans of soda, no ice.
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| Club Kitchen: Fridge. |
A little fridge had the more interesting choices, including sandwiches and salads, cut fruit and yogurts, breadsticks and dips, plus desserts.
None of these were made by the BA caterer, instead they were all private labels, and were much better than any of the actual food served on board. Next time, I certainly know that I'd skip the second meal at least, and opt for these items instead.
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Chinese Style Sweet & Sour Noodles
by Lincolnshire Salad. |
“Cooked noodles, pineapple, carrots, red & green peppers in a sweet and sour style dressing”.
At some point, I mentioned to my companion that I wanted to try the noodles we had seen in the Club Kitchen, since they looked like they were Thai-style sweet chili noodles. When he visited the area and found only one left, he snagged it for me so I wouldn’t miss out.
Thai-style sweet chili they were not, I clearly had not read the label clearly. I wouldn’t have grabbed this myself once I read what it was, but, he brought it to me, so I tried it.
It wasn’t … awful. The noodles weren’t mushy or undercooked, but they were just noodles. The sauce was gloopy and thick, sorta sweet, sorta sour, I guess as advertised. I didn’t particularly like the flavor.
Mixed in were mushy bell peppers in assorted colors, onions, and pineapple chunks, classic sweet and sour flavors.
I didn’t care for the basic flavor, and thought the sauce was just way too gloopy, but, I guess it wasn’t horrible? This came from an outside company, Lincolnshire Salad. Lincolnshire Salad is a British bulk and prepared foods supplier for airlines and foodservice groups, without a retail storefront. I would not try this again.
**+.
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Gluten-Free Chocolate Brownie
by Beckleberry’s. |
“Rich gluten-free chocolate brownie with an intense chocolate fudge icing”.
The other thing I eyed when I first just browsed the selection was the desserts of course, only two options, both packaged items made by Beckleberry's.
Beckleberry's is fairly small British company that makes ice cream, sorbets, and desserts. These folks aren't mass producers of just packaged items, and instead actually run a coffee shop, and have won awards for their artisanal products. Interesting for BA to partner with them, but I'm glad they did!
For pastries, they make all sorts of things including cakes (carrot cake, coffee & walnut cake, chocolate layer cake, lemon cake, double chocolate cake, ginger cake), a HUGE array of cheesecakes, tons of layered mousses and puddings, tarts in every flavor imaginable, British style flapjacks, teacakes and scones, and a bunch of gluten-free selections too.
On our flight, there was a chocolate cream stuffed brownie and a spiced apple cake. The apple cake didn't look interesting, but the chocolate thing looked like it might have potential. Again, I told my companion I intended to try it at some point, and when he came back from exploring with the noodles, he brought me this too.
Once I looked closely, I saw it was gluten-free, and was a brownie of sorts. I was less excited, and somewhat half-heartedly took a bite. I wasn’t intending to eat it then anyway, as I wasn’t really hungry. I’m all about pairings, and was thinking that I’d get a coffee, or a glass of port, something to go with my dessert later.
And even once I took the first bite, I still thought I’d just try it, and come back to it later, or pass it off to my companion since he actually likes brownies. But … it wasn’t bad. Two dark chocolate layers, a lighter filling, coated in cocoa powder. The cake/brownie was not really what I think of as a brownie, but it was not soft like a cake either. It was very chocolatley, very rich, very dense. It was extremely firm, from being in the cold fridge. I thought to myself, “hey, let this warm up a little, I bet it will get better”. Which I intended to do, once I had just one more bite. The filling was really not a cream, nor an icing. I don’t really know what to call it. The texture was rather crumbly. It had a mild chocolate flavor. Again, it probably would have been better if it warmed up, at least to room temp. There was cocoa powder absolutely covering both layers. It quickly got all over me. All over my face. All over my shirt. Doh.
So here I was, dessert in hand, covered in cocoa. I knew I should let it warm up. I knew I wanted a drink pairing. I knew I should wait and eat it in a bit, I didn’t need it then, I was just bored. And, I figured I should wait for my companion to wake up to try it too, since he got it for me. But … it really grew on me. Rich, chocolate, dessert. Oh yes. I couldn't stop.
I don’t often eat chocolate desserts, since they aren’t my favorites in general, and I don’t usually eat caffeine in the evening, but, given that I needed to be up for at least another 9 hours at this point, some caffeine was not going to be a problem. It was a nice treat. And yes, I bet it would have been better once it warmed up. And with some port. Or maybe ice cream. I almost went to get another, just to explore the pairings.
I’d get this again, I’d just try to have a bit of restraint next time …
****.
 |
Spiced Apple Cake
by Beckleberry's |
I also grabbed the spiced apple cake when I saw the "dessert" menu for the second meal was only a fruit salad. Bah. That isn't dessert. I knew I'd want a "real" dessert later.
Now, I don't really care for (frostingless) cake. And apples are never a favorite. So I had no expectations for this.
But ... I liked it. Mostly because I wouldn't really call it a "cake", it was much more of a coffee cake, than a regular cake. Beckleberry's needs to work on their naming!
Moist crumb cake was on the bottom, only a thin layer, and not the dominant component. On top of that was a bunch of decently cooked, spiced apple slices. And on top? Streusel! Yup, now you know what I liked it.
The whole thing was very moist, since it was kept in a fridge, and presumably wasn't very fresh, but ... I liked it. Once I thought of it as a coffee cake to have alongside a cup of coffee, I was perfectly satisfied.
This was also made by Beckleberry's, although it wasn't gluten-free like the chocolate "brownie". I'd get it again.
***+.
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Breadsticks and Olive Tapanade
by Deli-ish. |
My companion also grabbed the breadsticks and olive tapenade for himself. He offered me a bite, but I wasn’t interested in trying them, not really my thing at all.
Light Meal
The meal before landing is just dubbed "light meal", because at that point, they know that it isn't any proper meal period in any time zone, and we'd all just want something light, if anything at all.
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| Light Meal Menu. |
While it was never amazing, I’ll admit, I was looking forward to the second, standard British Airways meal service of Afternoon Tea. I remembered from flying this route before that I’d be stuffed from eating in the lounge, nibble a bit on the first meal, and only want a little something as the second meal. Warm scones and a trio of desserts fit the bill perfectly (I never really cared about the tea part). But … horror upon horrors, BA has swapped out Afternoon Tea and replaced it with “Light Meal”. Not that the BA tea time was particularly good, but the Light Meal menu was *highly* unappealing to me.
Starters:
- Sea trout timbale with fennel and chive salad.
- Brown rice salad with pumpkin and sunflower seeds, borlotti beans, almonds and coriander in a lemon and garlic dressing.
Main:
- Roasted breast of chicken with creamy mashed potatoes, roasted butternut squash, green beans, and onion gravy.
- North African vegetable taggine with moghrabieh couscous.
- Main course Nicosia salad and classic vinaigrette accompanied by warm seared tiger prawns.
- Warm Sandwich of Cajun-spiced chicken with rocket and sour cream.
Dessert:
I lamented over the menu to my companion. He said he was glad it had changed, as he wanted “real food” at that point. Even if I agreed, this isn’t the sort of food I wold have wanted for “real food”. A bowl of soup, like Cathay Pacific offers, perhaps. Or something creamy and comforting. Not this.
Neither starter sounded good. For mains, two different chicken options? Really? I generally like vegetarian dishes more than meat or seafood on flights, but I never like the flavors in a tagine, even a good one. Really, nothing appealed. Should I get another salad, with prawns, so I’d at least have some veggies? Or should I get the roast chicken, just for mashed potatoes and squash? And for dessert, fruit? Fruit is not dessert!
Anyway, I pondered this all over when I first saw the menu, but after snacking on assorted things from the Club Kitchen, I had kinda forgotten about the meal.
 |
| Light Meal: Appetizer, Dessert. |
"Sea Trout Timbale with Fennel and Chive Salad"
And then, suddenly, the cart was in the aisle, and trays were being handed out. I was asked if I wanted a meal. I said, “uh … “ and the tray was placed in front of me. It had a round something on it. I asked what it was. The FA told me it was the trout. It appeared that we had no option, not that I wanted the rice salad. Only water was offered to drink.
Also on the platters was silverware, butter, and salt and pepper, along with a bowl of fruit. Since I’m allergic to watermelon, and there was watermelon in the fruit mix, mine came without.
The trout was … almost good. Or maybe I was somehow hungry? I don’t know, my body was so confused at this point.
It was sea trout, similar to salmon. Pink flesh. Cooked, but the dish was cold. The trout was flaked and mixed with tons of mayonnaise. It was creamy, and the texture was a bit off-putting, as in, it was mushy. But there were nice chunks of trout in it. I also found a pinbone or two. On top was some crunchy stuff, perhaps fennel. And green stuff. It somehow grew on me. Creamy, crunchy, ok in the end. Not fishy. Far better than expected. Really, this was just like a better version of a classic tuna salad.
In fact, I decided it would be better to skip the main, and just turn it into a trout salad sandwich. Since we had butter on our trays, I assumed a bread basket was coming, but it never did. Maybe they ran out? Maybe it was never going to happen? But then, why the butter?
In the end, I really did kinda like it, but I wanted something more with it, bread, or actually, some crispy crackers to spread it on perhaps. Just eating it by the forkful wasn’t quite how I liked it. I have no idea if this is a good representation of a timbale, or what a timbale is still, but, well, it fed me.
***.
 |
Greek Style Yogurt with Berry Compote and Seed Granola
by Waitrose Good to Go |
“Greek style yogurt layered with blueberry and raspberry puree with a seeded and dried fruit granola.”
A while later the FAs passed through asking each person if they wanted a hot meal. They offered the veggie tagine or the roast chicken. I’m not sure what happened to the other options. I knew I didn’t want either of these at this point, so I said no, but asked if they still had any of the yogurt, fruit compote, and granola parfaits I had seen in the Club Kitchen earlier. I don’t think I actually needed more food at this point, and my timbale was actually probably plenty for meal number … 7? 8? I don’t even know, for the day, but I wanted something sweet.
Like the timbale, I never imagined I’d finish it, but, I devoured it too. I really must have been hungry somehow.
The yogurt parfait turned out to be exactly what I wanted. Creamy, thick yogurt, Greek style. I believe the yogurt was sweetened, as it was not super tangy, but the texture was good.
On the bottom of the container was tons of the fruit components, blueberry and raspberry sauce, that also had small blueberries inside. The fruit sauce was very sweet, but flavorful, and it mixed into the yogurt well. While a bit gross, as it was really runny and didn’t really seem like quality fruit, it somehow worked.
On top was the granola, a basic oat base, with lots of seeds and chunks of dried fruit. Not really clusters like I prefer, as nothing was really clumped together at all, but it had a good mix of add-ins, including pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, little dried blueberries, and flax seeds. Crunchy, a bit bitter from the flax, and again, nice to mix in to the base yogurt.
While no single component was really quality, or good on its own, but it did all combine nicely, and was really what I needed at that point. I'd certainly get this again, and it felt appropriate for a light snack at that time in the flight.
Made by Waitrose, the large British grocery store, their own private label.
***+.
June 2016 Flight
The following year, I took the same flight. Skipping all basic details of the aircraft, etc, just focusing this review on the dining.
Lunch
 |
| Lunch Menu. |
The Menu:
Starters
- Severn and Why Scottish smoked salmon with horseradish cream and lemon biscotti
- Tomato, mozzarella and avocado with tomato sponge and basil dressing
Salad
- Fresh seasonal salad served with vinaigrette
Main Courses
- Seared fillet of British beef with dauphinoise potatoes, fine beans, chantenay carrots, and peppercorn sauce
- Roasted corn-fed chicken with lemon-crust potato, summer vegetables, and whole-grain mustard jus
- Thai vegetable curry with steamed Asian rice
- Chilled main course salad of seared garlic and parsley prawns with a fennel and mint coleslaw and lemon and fennel seed aioli dressing.
Dessert
- Passion-fruit and pistachio tart with raspberry compote.
- West Country Brie and Dorset Cheddar cheese served with quince jelly and biscuits
- A selection of whole fresh fruit
For international flights departing out of Heathrow, BA finally allows you to pre-order your main dish. My companion was planning to order the beef, but I reminded him of how he never actually likes it, so he switched to the Thai curry, which, I had also picked. So, I switched to the salad, not because I like prawns or salad, but, because, coleslaw! Plus, I knew I'd have lunch #1 in the lounge anyway, so something lighter sounded good.
Starters we ordered once underway, when a FA came through to take orders for everyone else who hadn't pre-ordered. Since the tomato and mozzarella had avocado, which I'm allergic to, I had no choice for starter, but, encouraged my companion to order it so I could see it, and hopefully try the tempting sounding "tomato sponge".
Dessert wasn't really a choice either ... the one "real" dessert, or cheese, or fruit. Duh. Obviously I picked the "real" dessert, even though passion-fruit and pistachio aren't high on my list. I knew I could fall back on Club Kitchen pastries too.
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| Kir Royale, Sparkling Water. |
As always, I started with a Kir Royale and sparkling water, my BA drink of choice, and something I drink no where else. It was pleasant as always, slightly sweet, nice to settle in with.
I was not brought any nuts, even though the rest of the cabin was. I didn't actually care, but, it was a bit strange. The nuts were actually just a bag of packaged cashews and almonds, so, I can't say I felt like I was missing out.
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| Salad & Starter. |
The salad and first course were served from the trolley, along with the customary bread basket.
"Tomato, mozzarella and avocado with tomato sponge and basil dressing."
My companion had the other starter option. Since it had a large slice of avocado underneath the tomato and mozzarella, I didn't try those, but, the idea of a "tomato sponge" was too fascinating for me not to try it. It was not good. Basically, moist tomato flavored bread. He didn't want it either, but, they get creativity points here for taking a basic caprese in an interesting direction.
***.
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| Salad. |
"Fresh seasonal salad served with vinaigrette"
The salad as always came with vinaigrette, which I didn't want. Since trays always have the salad on them already, it isn't an option to just leave it off, but, I would if I could.
The salad was a mix of sorta fresh basic greens, some cubes of radish that were strangely moist and waterlogged, and a couple olives. Amusingly, my companion's salad didn't really have any of the radish cubes, whereas mine was loaded with them.
I skipped the bread.
**+.
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| Starter: Smoked Salmon. |
"Severn and Why Scottish smoked salmon with horseradish cream and lemon biscotti"
My starter actually looked impressive. Edible flower garnish! On a flight!
The dish had salmon two ways: a very small slice of smoked salmon and then a salmon salad mixed with lots of cream. The smoked salmon was fine, decent quality, but a fairly small portion, and quite thin. The salad version was also fine, it had some herbs, but, I certainly didn't taste the advertised "horseradish" in it. I also sorta expected the horseradish cream on the side, not mixed into a salmon salad.
The garnish on top was the lovely edible flower and a couple sprigs of what I think were pea shoots, actually tasty, and a bit random.
Also on the plate was a pile of capers and a lemon to squeeze over, both of which I appreciated.
As for the lemon biscotti ... it looked like a crostini, a thin slice, not anything like a biscotti, so I almost just skipped it, until I remembered that it was supposed to have a biscotti. It was ... highly disappointing. Biscotti is supposed to be crunchy, right? This was soggy, moist, and flabby. The lemon flavor was good though.
Overall though, far better than I'd expect, quality ingredients, interesting composition, and lovely plating.
***+.
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| Main: Salad. |
"Chilled main course salad of seared garlic and parsley prawns with a fennel and mint coleslaw and lemon and fennel seed aioli dressing."
Mains were delivered individually as ready.
I opted for the salad, mostly because I love coleslaw, and I knew I'd eat lunch in the lounge prior to the flight anyway.
It ... was a mixed bag.
First, the slaw. I think they changed the menu and didn't update the printed (or online) versions. There was not fennel, nor mint, in this slaw. The slaw had red cabbage, red onion, carrots, radish, and bell peppers, and a lot of dressing. It was really just mush. I guess I should have known better, but, I love coleslaw! However, coleslaw is best when crispy, and this dressing had clearly been mixed in hours, if not days, before. It was also highly overdressed, and, I'm someone who loves my creamy dressings. The sprinkles of not-very-ripe pomegranate seeds over the top was an interesting touch.
There was a generous amount of slaw, a bit hard to see here, but it was easily at least half the dish. The other half was some fairly wilted (and even browning) lettuce and 5 prawns. The prawns weren't awful, not fishy, not rubbery, and cleaned. But not particularly exciting either.
Now, I mentioned that I didn't like the earlier salad due to the lack of creamy dressing. This salad came with an aioli, a thick, creamy dressing, in a cute little glass bottle on the side.
However ... I couldn't get it out. It clearly came right out of the fridge, and wasn't nearly viscous enough. I tipped it upside down. I shook it. I tried to use a fork or knife to stick in, but they were too big. I left it upside down for a while. Nothing worked. I finally got a few drops, but, not enough to really taste. Doh.
Anyway, this just wasn't great. Clearly would not get again.
**+.
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| Main: Curry. |
"Thai vegetable curry with steamed Asian rice."
My companion's choice was much better. Now, the bowl was probably 85% rice, kinda mushy rice, and the vegetables were fairly meager, only some green beans, a few carrots, and I think one chunk of red pepper? There really wasn't many vegetables in here, and no protein at all (not that I like tofu). But the curry was fairly tasty. Coconut milk based, thick, and even a bit spicy.
I don't like rice, but, when smothered in the curry, I thought it was fine.
If I went to a Thai restaurant, I certainly wouldn't rave about this, but, for a plane, it wasn't horrible and actually had some flavor.
***.
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| Dessert. |
"Passion-fruit and pistachio tart with raspberry compote."
At first, I was confused when the dessert showed up. I expected a passion fruit sauce of some sort. And why did this look like cheesecake? It had no visible passion fruit. But, once I tasted the "tart", I did taste passionfruit. The tart was sorta a custard I think. It looked like cheesecake, but it wasn't cream cheese based at all. I didn't really care for the flavor. The pistachio was just a little bit scattered on top.
The tart crust was awful. Like my biscotti, another element that was just way too soggy when it shouldn't have been. It was entirely mush. Honestly, you wouldn't have known there was a tart shell at all if you didn't look closely.
The raspberry compote was even worse. All seeds, super tart. I looked over to offer my tart and/or compote to my companion, but, he also took only a bite or two and gave up. Not good at all.
*.
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| Warren's LBV Port. 2009. |
Since I skipped wine with my meal, opting to drink my Kir Royale more slowly and consume it before and during my meal, I opted for some port alongside my dessert. It was ... fine. A bit harsh, not really very caramely, if that makes sense. It kinda lacked the basic characteristics I wanted.
**+
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| Decaf Coffee. |
I also had decaf coffee, instant. It wasn't horrible but it certainly wasn't good.
But I knew how to fix it. An afogato! So, since the dessert wasn't very good, and the coffee wasn't very good, I asked about ice cream. I know they always have some in the Club Kitchen, but, it isn't in a discoverable place. I think you need to ask for it?
Once I had caramel ice cream to add into my coffee, I enjoyed it much more. Success.
Club Kitchen
Ah, the club kitchen. On my flight over to London, the Club Kitchen had little to offer, as it was an overnight flight. They had some fresh fruit, a few token bags of chips and popcorn, and Cadbury chocolate. But, I knew this flight would have much more. And indeed it did.
They had the same Kettle Chips as from the lounge (plain, Salt and Balsamic Vinegar, Mature Cheddar & Red Onion}, and the same
Joe & Seph's popcorn which I've reviewed before. There was also a snack basket filled with packaged things like hard candies, cashews and dried fruit, and granola/fruit bars. And another basket with mostly Cadbury chocolate (Crunchies, Drops, and more), plus a few mini Green & Black bars, which of course I snagged.
But the real beauty of the Club Kitchen is in the little fridge that many people don't realize is there. In the fridge was a handful of sandwiches (meh) and yogurt (only strawberry), plus crispy breadsticks with dips like hummus. Ok, yeah, still not super exciting. There were also a few side salads, one was quinoa, rice, and other goodies, and another was a pasta salad.
But I was there for the sweets, and, as before, we had a few selections from Beckleberry's. I knew to grab them early.
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Dulce de Leche Temptation Ice Cream
(The Ice Cream Union). |
As on my last journey on BA 287, ice cream was from The Ice Cream Union. I didn't wait to find it in the Club Kitchen, but ordered it right after the dessert. I had the choice of vanilla, or what was described as "Delice", or something like that. I asked for clarification, and the FA said it had caramel. So, I went for it. It turned out to be Dulce de Leche.
The ice cream was super melty on top when it arrived. I wonder if they don't actually have freezer space? Does this just sit there melting?
Anyway, it was decent enough ice cream. Unlike last time, it wasn't freezer burned. It wasn't the richest, creamiest ice cream ever, but, it was good. Sweet. It had a very generous swirl of gooey caramel throughout, also super sweet.
***.
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| Gluten Free Bakewell Tart (Beckleberry's). |
"Our Gold Great Taste Award wining gluten free version of this classic tart - raspberry jam topped with our rich frangipane and flaked almonds set in an all butter pastry case."
So, I'll admit that I don't generally like
gluten-free baked goods. But, on my last flight, I enjoyed the gluten-free item, and, there was only two choices, this and chocolate cake, so, I opted for both. Why not?
I also don't generally like bakewell tart, but, it is a British classic after all.
It was decent. The crust was just the right thickness, a bit crisp, a bit crumbly, clearly loaded with butter. That was good. Above that was a very small amount of raspberry jam, just dotted on, and not really enough to taste or add sweetness. Above that was a fairly moist cake, but, cake. The frangipane and sliced almonds on top were the best elements.
Overall, far better than the dessert we were served. It would go great with a cup of coffee sorta like a coffee cake for a mid-flight snack.
***+.
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| Continental Chocolate Cake (Beckleberry's). |
"Moist chocolate sponge cake smothered in rich chocolate ganache and flaked Belgian chocolate".
Ok, I know, I also don't really like cake, nor go for chocolate desserts. But, my sweet tooth was curious! Not that I was unsatisfied in the sweets department, between my sweet drinks, the dessert tart, the ice cream, the chocolates, and the bakewell tart, I had more than enough. But, it was a long flight, and I was bored. So, cake.
I didn't like it. It reminded me of a Little Debbie or Hostess cake, just, without cream. The chocolate ganache on top was nice enough, but, the rest of it, meh, just chocolate cake. Not that it was dry exactly, but, it was boring.
I should have known better, really, as, the only reason I ever like cake is for the frosting (of which this had none), the filling (again, none), or, in the case of a molten chocolate cake, for the whipped cream or ice cream. I suppose I could have asked for more ice cream to pair with it?
**.
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| Pasta Salad (The Lincolnshire Salad). |
"Pasta Salad with Mozzarella & Black Olives in a Herby Tomato Dressing)."
A few hours passed. I was still bored, but, decided not to have more sweets. I know, it happens sometimes!
The sandwiches didn't look good at all, so, pasta salad it was.
It was decent-ish. The pasta twirls were well cooked, al dente. They almost tasted whole wheat, but I don't think they were.
The "mozzarella pearls" were little balls of mozzarella, that had a really strange texture. I would never have identified this as mozzarella. I can't say this was quality cheese.
The "Herby Tomato Dressing" was indeed herby, lots of flavor from onion, garlic, oregano, basil, and parsley. The base was tomato paste, vinegar, and oil, and, uh, sugar. It was strangely sweet to me, and this explains why. The vinegar added a touch of tang, but, overall, it was very sweet, and, way too oily. Perhaps just because there was so much dressing did the oil bother me, but, it was swimming in oil.
There weren't many black olives, which I didn't mind, since I don't really love black olives. Also in the mix were little cubes of tomato and sliced red peppers.
So, good pasta, decent seasoning, but, way too much oil. At least it was something different to try. **+.
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| Kettle Chips: Mature Cheddar & Red Onion. |
Somehow in my mind Kettle Chips should always be the wavy, ripple, crinkle cut style. I'm not sure why, but, that is what I always expect, even though Kettle brand chips are not generally like that.
They weren't particularly good, and I didn't quite identify the flavor as cheddar (certainly not a robust, "mature cheddar" as named), nor did I taste red onion really. They sorta tasted like sour cream and onion, just, muted. Still, I had them mid-flight, and, a salty snack was nice.
Note to self: snag some snack mix from the lounge to bring on board, I think that would have hit the spot better, I definitely wanted a salty snack.
**+.
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| Strawberry Yogurt (Waitrose Dutchy Organic). |
"A thick and creamy yogurt made with British organic milk, blended wiht juicy, organic strawberries".
On my last journey aboard 287, I decided to just have yogurt as my last meal, as my body was very time zone confused and had no idea what it wanted, but, "real" food certainly wasn't it. About 2 hours before landing, I felt that way again. I knew meal service would be soon, but, I didn't want ... anything, yet I wanted ... something. Yay, staying up all night.
I didn't remember exactly what kind of yogurt it was last time, but I knew that I actually really enjoyed it, and it hit the spot. The same wasn't really true this time.
The yogurt was a different style than I'm accustomed in the US, as the fruit was actually mixed through it, rather than the more common "fruit in the bottom" styles we have. The fruit was little bits and some swirls of strawberry goo. And it was actually thicker than most standard US yogurt too, not a runny style, but it wasn't thick like Greek yogurt. Somewhere in-between really.
I guess it was fine, but, just a fairly tart basic yogurt with some decent fruit in it. Maybe I really didn't want anything? ***.
Light Meal
A while ago, BA decided to replace the second meal of afternoon tea with a "light" meal. You read all about my dislike of this last time. To me, afternoon tea was a much better match for my tired, worn out, timezone confused body. Plus, um, scones and dessert platters. And now, "light meal" doesn't even have a dessert!
Anyway, the light meal menu is not available for pre-order, and it isn't available online, so this is always a surprise. I was happy it sounded a bit better than last time, although, I knew that I'd likely just indulge in the Club Kitchen anyway.
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| Menu. |
Starters
- Tiger prawns in a Marie Rose sauce with a cucumber and red pepper salad
- Brown rice salad with pumpkin and sunflower seeds, borlotti beans, almonds, and coriander in a lemon and garlic dressing.
Main
- A selection of toasties featuring salt beef and tuna with spring onion
- Penne pasta with red onion, button mushroom, and courgettes in a creamy pesto sauce
- Main course Nicoise salad with classic vinaigrette accompanied by warm seared Scottish salmon
- Warm sandwich of Canjun-spiced chicken with rocket and sour cream
Dessert
Like I said, not a real dessert!
This meal was served less than 2 hours before landing. The first course and drinks were offered from the trolley, however, we were given only one choice, the prawns. I asked about the other option, and, magically, they were able to find one.
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| Starter: Prawns. |
"Tiger prawns in a Marie Rose sauce with a cucumber and red pepper salad."
My companion had the tiger prawns, which, much like our starters at lunch, had nice presentation, and wasn't really what I was expecting. I sorta thought it would just be prawns with a dipping sauce? And, an actual salad?
But instead we had some prawn ... mush. There were a few chunks of prawn that were recognizable as prawn, but, for the most part, this was just mush mixed with the creamy marie rose sauce. The "salad" was a tiny scattering of cubed cucumbers and red peppers around the outside.
Also on the tray was the dessert, fruit, which ... of course included watermelon. And of course my tray had it too, even though I had notified the staff earlier that I had a severe allergy. Sign. There was also strawberry, pineapple, honeydew, and a little pot of an orange sauce, which I guessed was mango coulis?
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| Starter: Rice Salad. |
"Brown rice salad with pumpkin and sunflower seeds, borlotti beans, almonds, and coriander in a lemon and garlic dressing."
From the description, again, I expected something different. As in, something resembling a salad. This was a mix of rice and assorted mushy beans (not just borlotti beans), with some crunchy seeds mixed in, and another oily vinaigrette.
Well, certainly not what I wanted.
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| Main: Pasta. |
"Penne pasta with red onion, button mushroom, and courgettes in a creamy pesto sauce."
After the starters were cleared away, we were asked if we wanted a main dish. Moments after we voiced which we wanted, it was brought to us. I don't really understand how this works. For the lunch, each dish was heated up based on what people order, but, for light meal, do they just heat them all up, give out what people want, and throw out the rest?
Anyway, I went for the pasta, the only dish that sounded remotely reasonable. It was piping hot, as in, I burnt myself on it hot.
The pasta was rather mushy. Pieces on the top and sides were overcooked and dried out (and not in the good crispy-edge-of-lasagna kind of way). Meh to the pasta.
The mushrooms were my favorite element, button mushrooms, in chunks and slices. They had a decent flavor, and went really well with the creamy sauce. The sauce was basically just a cream sauce with a little herbs. I think it had some cheese too. Not amazing, but, comforting.
Also in the mix was little cubes of zucchini (courgettes), a little onion, and some roasted red peppers (?). The zucchini, mushrooms, and cream sauce all went together nicely.
Overall, this certainly wasn't good, but, I enjoyed some creamy mushrooms.
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| Main: Salad. |
"Main course Nicoise salad with classic vinaigrette accompanied by warm seared Scottish salmon."
My companion had the nicoise salad. I don't really liked cooked salmon (unless its mid-rare), so I knew I wouldn't like that, and, from the fishy smell, I knew I made a wise decision.
